Well, for those of you who don't know, we are packing up and moving on. Japan has been both a trial and a pleasure (depending on what day it was and who you asked!).

The JET Programme has a systemic problem that only major restructuring and re-evaluation of methods and goals in "internationalization" could possibly fix.

On the other hand, workers on NOVA have proven, in our eyes anyway, that true comfort in international relationships comes with integrating everyone into the same public space - the workforce.

While the JET Programme places one usually young ALT into a public school and provides no training for the ALT or the Japanese teachers of English, companies like the now-defunct NOVA Corporation at least allowed for foreign teachers to work alongside others in the same situation, and to promote a normalization of international culture by exposing students to a wide variety of non-Japanese personalities. Not that this was likely the intention of the company, but it seems to have been the outcome.

Autumn is in the air, and the cooling trend is refreshing. No more sticky nights or ear-piercing cicadas!

After a short lapse, I have become pro-active once again. We are both heading to the gym twice a week now, and the rewards are immense. For the first time, I actually enjoy going to the gym and jogging - amazing. I feel 100% better immediately afterwards, and by the next day, am antsy to go again. To think - I spent our first year here holed up at home with so little exercise - no wonder it was so rough.

Now it's time to plan for what follows Japan, yet plenty is happening here to keep us preoccupied. The Mr. is likely out of a job pretty soon, so that big trip to Indonesia next spring may just have to wait. It's worth it though, if we can save enough to get to India. We've got some great friends here now, which makes life so much more fun. I've been cooking as often as I can in the evenings, and tasty food does wonders for the soul.

Well, that's all for now - time for breakfast!

September 12th and I can't believe I'm married to the love of my life and living in southern Japan!

Well, that's not what I was saying a year ago, or even 6 months ago, but this autumn, I'm starting off anew. Our trip to California was a rejuvenating experience, and my roots are so much clearer to me now.

While I am proud to be a Californian, I am also so very grateful for the experiences I am having and all the lessons I'm learning here in this Eastern country.

I remember being a child and rummaging through my parent's National Geographic magazines in the summer afternoons, trying to imagine what it would be like in some of those far-off places with those lovely people.

In my heart I think I always knew I'd travel and live abroad. I even think that I knew I would marry my husband.

But now that I have experienced home from my dreams, I can see that we are so very lucky to have the ability to explore the world, and have incredibly wonderful, loving family to come home to. I wish everyone could have the same opportunity.